Saturday, March 5, 2011

Cock's Crow

Did you know that Cock's Crow is an actual time during the night? I've definitely learned it IS. Jess thought we just had crazy roosters until he learned, through a radio program, that cock's crow is from about 4:30am until sunrise. So, our roosters are mostly normal because they generally do start constant crowing around 4:30am. Of course, there are the extra frustrating mornings when they start around 2:30am. And the NICE mornings that they don't crow for a first go until around 6am. But they are definitely normal. (Oh, and roosters crow all day long... not just during "cock's crow"!!!)

This winter it hasn't been so bad. The window have been closed, so that bit of glass muffled the crowing a bit. And with three roos, we need all the muffling we can get.

Well, it's spring. And with hotter-than-I-like days, still not being able to use AC, the house has been getting rather warm. Uncomfortably warm for this heavy preggie girl! But the nights are still cool. Cool enough to cool the house down NICELY if we can leave a couple key windows/doors open. One key area to keep open (and to help me sleep better!) is the window right above my head.

I recently evicted two of the roosters from the chicken tractor. The darn boy birds don't take NO for an answer and my poor hens still have featherless patches on their backs cause there were too many roosters in the tractor with them! Ria was particularly worried about the boys birds because they are no longer protected. I had to turn her attention to concern for our egg layers. The boys are basically unproductive food eaters! Since the explanation that the boys just wanted too much sex and didn't do anything that was really helpful and, in fact, were hurting our productive hens, she's not as actively worried about them.

A negative effect of the release of the roos is that one of them (of course the one I like least) decided to roost on the power box right above my bedroom window!!! The one I'm leaving open out of necessity now! ARGGHHHH!!! Talk about a frustrating morning or three as I came to realize where he'd chosen to sleep. So, now I have to remember to get outside after dark to move him. He doesn't do well with me just trying to chase him away from his favorite spot, so I've learned that I have to grab him by the legs, hang him upside down (so he doesn't bite me, which he HAS done) and drop him in a box, making sure to cover the top with something heavy enough that he cannot dump himself out of it. *sigh*

Just for the record, I was actually going to suffer through the early rooster rowdiness right at my head because I've been unsuccessful in finding homes for the boy birds I don't want/need and I'm unabl to butcher them myself. It's my fault, not theirs. But then Jess started this new job (just this past Monday!). He's able to get, tops, 8 hours sleep when he gets home. Given his detox efforts (to quit smoking), he really does need more sleep than that.... He's worked from 9am to 11pm Monday through Thursday and I think yesterday until the end of bike week the restaurant will remain open until midnight.... In addition, he has about an hour's drive each way. The 8 hours' sleep would only be possible IF he were able to take a super quick shower immediately upon returning home. And IF he didn't speak to me about his day before going to sleep. And IF we skipped couple's prayer and Bible reading. And IF he was able to fall asleep right away. (Ok, so that last one probably would NOT be a problem for Jess, ever, but still.) As it is he's not able to take terribly long showers (longer would relax him more and help him calm down/unwind), we don't get to talk very long (and if I talk it's very little so that he has more time to process through his day as I listen), our couple's prayers are rather short, we're basically reading only a verse or a couple in the Bible, and Jess IS falling asleep super fast when he fully lays his head down on his pillow.

So, when, one morning this week, Jess woke around 4am because of the crowing and moved to the couch out of frustration with the rooster rowdiness (they mostly take turns crowing, so instead of one nice crow we get a few hours of almost constant noise), I decided that I would do something to preserve my husband's sleep the next morning. I forgot to do anything about it that night, though. So, 5am rolled around and the crowing woke me up, but Jess was still sleeping. So, I dashed outside and chased the most obnoxious noise maker away from his roost (the one right above our heads). He was totally going to try to get back there until I chased him away again. Since then I've been striving to stick him in the box I described earlier. He doesn't like it. But the morning is significantly quieter without him at our heads. Jess hasn't been awakened and unable to fall back asleep again, as yet. I would know if he was cause I'm awakened and not able to fully sleep again most mornings!

Pregnancy News
On Thursday, my more recent appointment, my blood pressure was better than ever (and mine is usually SUPER good), I'm NOT spilling any protein, I'd only gained 2 pounds in a month (compared to 7 pounds in one week a couple months ago!), I was about 2cm dilated (which is one more than the last time), and 80% effaced (which is 10% more than the last time). So, these night waking contractions as well as those at other times are doing something. YEAY! :) The more before labor, the better!

Comparing with past pregnancies
With my three daughters to date my blood pressure has always been good. I've usually been spiling more and more protein at each visit for the month before the baby is born. I've never gained any weight before. In fact, I've lost 7 pounds during the course of EACH pregnancy previously. I've usually been walking 3cm dilated for about 2-3 weeks before my due date. AND I've usually been about 50% effaced for most/all of that time. I don't think I've ever been 80% effaced before entering active labor. So, this time is definitely different. They all are, of course, but this one is the more different from the others by a long shot. Perhaps I'm just becoming more of a regular woman!? :) Who knows. (I know who knows! ^_^)